Switch Up Your Skincare Routine for Spring

You’ve said farewell to winter, along with all your cold-weather skincare woes. (Dryness! Flakiness! Itchiness!) It’s time to re-examine your regimen as you welcome the warmer days ahead. Start by taking stock of what you currently use and toss out anything that’s past its expiration date. Then, make all the necessary swaps as you spring-clean your skincare routine. Your skin’s needs change with the weather, so your approach to skincare should be different from that of the cooler months. Just as you shed the layers when the temperatures rise, you’ll want to lighten the load by leaving behind heavy-duty skincare products. Here’s how to transition into warmer weather and build the perfect skincare routine for spring.

Swap out your cream cleanser.

You cocooned your skin with rich and nourishing creams and oil cleansers all winter long. Come spring, lighten up with a different formula. If your skin is on the dry side, try using a milky formula; if your skin is oily, opt for a gel cleanser. Choosing the right cleanser will properly cleanse your skin and prepare it for the skincare products you apply after. 

Exfoliate your skin.

Just because the cold weather isn’t zapping your skin of moisture on the regular doesn’t mean you should take exfoliating out of the equation. In fact, expect to do some spring-cleaning to get rid of the pile-up of dead skin cells left behind from the colder months. Exfoliation is the first step to get glowing for spring. It will not only brighten your complexion but also make your skin nice and smooth for applying your skincare products and your makeup. Reach for an exfoliating scrub like L’Oréal Paris Pure-Sugar Coffee Scrub for Rough Skin to gently buff away any dryness.

Incorporate a serum.

Don’t be fooled by their lightweight texture—serums are packed with active ingredients that penetrate deeper into the skin so you can reap all their benefits. If you’re after hydration, scan the label for ingredients like hyaluronic acid. The moisture booster holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water and is the star ingredient in L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power LZR Hyaluronic Acid Serum. If fine lines and wrinkles are your number one concern, go for a serum like L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Smoothing Serum, which taps into Fibrelastyl, a firming complex, to smooth away telltale lines.

Switch to a lightweight moisturizer.

Give thicker creams a rest and go for lightweight lotions like L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power LZR Moisturizer with SPF 20. Your skin increases oil production in the warmer months, which is why the heavier stuff can clog pores and cause breakouts, not to mention look greasy. A lighter moisturizer, on the other hand, will hydrate without feeling uncomfortable under makeup.

Always wear SPF.

You should be wearing SPF all year long (remember, you can still get burned on cloudy days), but if you haven’t been diligent with sun protection, now’s the time to make it a consistent part of your skincare routine. Prolonged sun exposure isn’t just harmful for your health; it also causes premature aging. If you’re in a rush and don’t have time to use a separate sunscreen, make sure to use a moisturizer with sunscreen that provides broad spectrum protection. If you’ve had to dig out your SPF from the back of your bathroom cabinet or the bottom of your dresser, check the expiry date to make sure it’s still good to use. If not, toss it.

Once you have your spring skincare routine figured out, it’s time to do the same with your makeup routine. Trust us—your skin will thank you.